Beyond the glowing statistics and the shimmering trophies, the scattered flash bulbs told the story. Every important move he made was preserved in a photograph. His first pitch. His last at-bat. His glove-smacking after a double play.
Roger Clemens on the mound isn’t a game. It’s an “I was there” event. His next fastball could be his last, though highly unlikely, given his dominance, leaving fans clamoring for a glimpse of one of baseball’s finest pitchers ever.
“The fans in Colorado have always been great to me,” Clemens said. “That’s what I am going to miss when I walk away, the cheers. It means a lot that people pay their money to see me work.”
An announced crowd of 28,726 – the season’s fourth largest – came to savor Clemens and wound up celebrating third baseman Garrett Atkins. The rookie belted an eighth-inning grand slam and the Rockies won 6-5, their most dramatic victory since opening day.
“I don’t remember anything until I reached third base,” said Atkins, who received the obligatory shaving cream face pie during his postgame interview. “I figured I better slow down because I know I may never be in this position again.”
This wasn’t supposed to happen, not on a night when Clemens, 42, flirted with history and ultimately cemented his legacy. He held the Rockies without a hit until the fourth inning, then tied the New York Giants’ Prince Hal Schumacher as the first pitcher since 1933 to open a season with 35 consecutive scoreless innings on the road.
That alarming number was rendered hollow with a single swing of the bat. With Clemens gone after seven innings, one run and 107 pitches, Houston’s bullpen dissolved before manager Phil Garner’s eyes. Russ Springer absorbed the most critical damage, entering with two outs in the eighth instead of elite closer Brad Lidge.
“I really thought we were going to see Lidge,” said Rockies second baseman Aaron Miles, a former minor-league teammate of the one-time Cherry Creek star. “I guess thankfully he’s just a ninth-inning guy.”
As Springer warmed up, Preston Wilson and Atkins stood side-by-side on deck. Wilson told him he was going to rough up Springer and that it was up to Atkins to finish him off. The idle chatter looked prophetic moments later.
“You know how many home runs I have given up in my career. I don’t even bat an eye about that,” Clemens said of the blown lead. “Those guys have made me look good so many times.”
Atkins has quietly emerged as the Rockies’ best young bat, inflating his average by going 14-for-25 with nine RBIs in his past six games. Just 5 years old when Clemens began his major-league career, Atkins crushed a 91 mph fastball 422 feet into the center-field seats.
If not for Miles’ health, the Rockies may have left feeling nauseous. His return freed up manager Clint Hurdle to bump Atkins from the second to fifth spot in the order. Hurdle has wanted to do so for a few weeks to exploit Atkins’ ability to produce runs.
“He’s our hottest hitter,” Hurdle said, “who came up in the right situation.”
Atkins’ blast eased the sting of a managerial move that backfired in the fourth. With two aboard, Hurdle instructed starter Jason Jennings to intentionally walk Lance Berkman to face Morgan Ensberg. Ensberg smashed a changeup into the seats, giving him eight RBIs in five at-bats against Jennings.
“I went from one extreme to another,” Jennings said, “from watching (Ensberg’s) home run to Garrett’s.”
Given the opposing pitcher, the deficit, the pent-up frustration, it ranks as the Rockies’ most significant victory this season.
“I am proud of the guys. We could have let this one get away or get ugly,” Hurdle said. “We just got mad and kept battling.”
ROCKIES RECAP
Miles passes test to get back in Rockies’ lineup
Aaron Miles’ back underwent a series of tests last week, the second baseman playing the part of crash-test dummy.
He dived to his left, his right. He swung from both sides, never letting up. He felt fine, eager to take back second
base after Eddy Garabito’s successful audition.
“You always want the team to do well,” Miles said. “And you hope they still want you when you are healthy.”
Miles returned to the second spot in the order, though manager Clint Hurdle said he would likely experiment with him in the leadoff slot. With Miles back, it allowed Garrett Atkins, the Rockies’ hottest hitter, to drop into the run-producing fifth spot.
Say ouch
Astros second baseman Craig Biggio tied former Rockies manager Don Baylor’s modern-day record Tuesday night when a pitch hit him for the 267th time in his career. “I’ll be glad when he gets it. He’s a different guy from me, but I like him,” said Baylor, now the Seattle Mariners’ hitting instructor. “He’s hard-nosed, plays to win. He’s a good guy.”
Troy E. Renck can be reached at 303-820-5457 or trenck@denverpost.com.
